Potato Pies

 

When making dinner, think about lunch. What can be eaten as leftovers? Can you make a little extra and cook it in portable portions?

This skillet supper can work wonders for lunchtime in a smaller mold. I'll give you the instructions for a full skillet dinner and tips on how to miniaturize it.

Potato Skillet Pie

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Crust

In a food processor, shred:
1 pound baking potatoes, scrubbed

Immediately plunge potatoes into cold water, stir, and let soak for ten minutes. Drain and place potatoes on dish towel, blot dry. Put into emptied bowl and mix with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large, hot skillet, heat 1 tbs. olive or peanut oil, swirling to coat the bottom and the sides. Sprinkle the potatoes over the skillet in an even layer. Let cook 2 minutes, then cover the pan with lid and steam until potatoes are semi-translucent on top and browning on the bottom. Use a spatula to press the potatoes down into the pot and against the sides. Place skillet into oven and bake 30 minutes, or until the top part of the potatoes is golden and crispy.

Filling

Heat a large skillet on medium-high on the stovetop. Add and sautee until fragrant and semi translucent:
1 small diced onion
1 rib celery, diced
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 red or orange pepper, diced

Add and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about one minute:
1 tbs. curry powder

Add and cook, stirring frequently, until cooked through:1 pound ground beef, turkey or lamb
1/2 cup chopped spinach, thawed and drained

Stir into beef mixture until just melted:
1/3 cup Swiss or Provolone cheese, shredded
1/4 cup plus 2 tbs. frommage blanc or sour cream or cream cheese

Turn beef mixture into potato crust. If you like, you may put the combined dish back into the oven to heat it through, especially if your crust has cooled. Serve at table in the skillet, or you can try to turn it out onto a plate -- a sort of potato surprise, with the filling in the center. Sprinkle with parsley and diced red peppers for colour.

The pies I made are in small, deep tart molds. You can make your mini-servings in muffin pans, tart pans, any smaller sized pan. There's no real reason why you can't just slice a piece of the big skillet pie and pack it up for lunch, but part of the appeal for little kids is a pie just their size. Did you notice all the vegetables we managed to slip in?

If you are going to make small pies, you are going to need more potatoes. Spray your mold/tin with cooking spray, bottom and sides. Follow the instructions for the crust. When the potatoes are translucent and the bottom is browned in the pan, use a spatula to cut up the potatoes into large squares bigger than the mold you're using and drop the potatoes in. Use a spoon to press the potatoes into the bottom and sides, using any extra to patch any holes. Then carry on with the recipes, baking the potatoes, adding the filling, etc. They will turn out beautifully from the molds/muffin tins, and offer a perfect size for hungry tummies.